But you believe in the crystals, right?

A review of Pitrok crystal deodorant.

In series 5 of Peep Show, there is an episode where our irreverent heroes Mark, Jeremy and Super Hans meet Cally, a music exec who gets ‘musicians’ Jez and Hans a gig at the fastest growing Christian Rock festival in the UK. Mark and her strike up a relationship, and they wander together round the crazy hippy festival stalls, laughing at the homeopathy flasks and healing totems. That is until Cally spots a crystal skull, professes her blind, zealous faith in them, and demands the same of Mark.

If we’re going to continue on with this article, I need you to tell me you’re prepared to believe in the crystal deodorant.

Because it’s going to change your life.

The Review

Most deodorants and antiperspirants block your pores with something – usually an aluminium salt – with the aim of reducing sweating. PitROK (as they’d like you to type it) doesn’t interfere with your sweating at all but instead directly targets the cause of body odour; bacteria feeding on your delicious sweat and dead skin. Some are very concerned that absorbing aluminium salts could increase your risk of cancer or Alzheimer’s, but there is no conclusive scientific evidence of that link yet.

Using an aluminium salt with a larger crystal size – hence the ‘crystal’ name – Pitrok sits on the surface of your skin and isn’t absorbed into your pores. The ammonium aluminium sulphate that makes up 100% of Pitrok’s ingredients acts as a very powerful antibacterial, preventing the pong producing microorganisms from reproducing. Pitrok doesn’t have any scent, because when you use it, you don’t need to mask the smell of BO. You’ve completely stopped it.

But the theory only matters once its proven working, right? An example: I shower before bed, sleep, get up in the morning and wet my underarms as directed, towel drying before applying Pitrok to the damp skin. I walk briskly for 25 minutes then sit in a car for half an hour to work and sit at my desk for the next 8 hours. I sit in a car again to come home and do some driving in the evening myself before going to bed without showering. I get up the next day and don’t shower or apply any more Pitrok. I walk for another 25 minutes, sit in a car and then at my desk until lunchtime. At lunch I walk 3 miles at an average pace, then sit back at my desk until 5.15pm. I then lift weights at the gym, raising my heart rate and working up a sweat for 45 minutes. I sit in a car to come home and once home decide it’s about time for a shower. I smell my armpits. Absolutely nothing. 48 average hours and no scent whatsoever.

Using my previous Lynx-clone antiperspirant I was noticing an unpleasant wiff after just a regular day at the office. This started a search that led me eventually to Pitrok.

It’s worth noting here that some Amazon reviewers have experienced a very unpleasant rash after using Pitrok and then engaging in very strenuous, prolonged exercise, sweating profusely. Whilst I haven’t experienced this myself, and neither have the vast majority of reviewers, it is worth keeping in mind as a potential reaction if you do decide to begin using Pitrok.

At £6.59 a stick, it feels like an expensive punt in the dark, but at least in my experience, this stuff is incredible and it’s made a zealous convert of me. I bought mine from Boots but I also saw it in Superdrug, and of course it’s on Amazon.

A pump action spray version is also available, and although it retails for a lower £4.05 at Boots, is much worse value than the roll on stick, which some reviewers claim lasts years. If you miss the fragrance of antiperspirant, buy some cologne – it might actually have a chance of smelling nice! 😛

I paid full retail price for my Pitrok, haven’t received anything for writing this article and don’t receive any kind of commission if you purchase Pitrok from any of the links. I’ve just found it an excellent product that dramatically exceeded my expectations, which is a rare experience these days.